Red Bay Seven Mile Beach Waterfront Walkers Road Steakhouse King ™ Also available in single Limited Time Only TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalismWeekly, 18-24 September 2020 compass unding local journalismWeekly, 18-24 September 2020 Sandstorm Divers fight to save Eden Rock coral Page 5 Photo: James Whittaker Cayman Port stays COVID-free Page 6 Money remittances fall by $26 million Page 10 Test driving the BioSticker Page 13Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any lm starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK BATMAN (1989) (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 6:30 | 9:40 (SUN) 7:00 | 9:40 (MON & THURS) 6:30 | 9:40 GREENLAND (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:10 | 1:45 | 4:30 | 7:25 (SUN) 3:00 | 7:25 (MON & THURS) 1:10 | 1:45 | 4:30 | 7:25 LITTLE MERMAID, THE (G) (FRI & SAT) 1:15 | 4:00 (SUN) 2:45 | 5:00 (MON & THURS) 1:15 | 4:00 THE NEW MUTANTS (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 7:10 | 10:15 (SUN) 7:10 | 10:15 (MON - THURS) 7:10 | 10:15 TENET (PG-13) (FRI & SAT) 1:00 | 3:25 | 3:50 VIP | 7:00 | 9:25 | 9:45 VIP (SUN) 3:15 | 3:50 VIP | 5:50 | 9:10 | 9:45 VIP (MON-THURS) 1:00 | 3:25 | 3:50 VIP | 7:00 | 9:25 | 9:45 VIP WAR WITH GRANDPA, THE (PG) (FRI & SAT) 1:15 VIP | 4:45 | 7:15 VIP | 10:20 (SUN) 4:00 | 7:15 VIP | 10:20 (MON-THURS) 1:15 VIP | 4:45 | 7:15 VIP | 10:20 ure, minors under the age of 18 wil OPENING SEPT 24TH BREAK THE SILENCE: THE MOVIE (PG) 7:00PM | 9:30PM PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email:newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITOR IN CHIEF KEVIN MORALES Partly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers with possible thunder mainly over the Sister Islands. Forecast today 89°F HIGH WINDS East at 10 to 15 knots SEA STATE Slight to moderate with wave heights of 2 to 4 feet. Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass weather Cayman Islands 78°F LOW Active hurricane season forecast to continue Colorado State University’s Tropical Meteorology Project said the next two weeks of the Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to bring above-average activity. While there are currently no storms expected to impact the Cayman Islands, residents should monitor weather forecasts throughout active storm months. So far, the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has included 20 named storms and 63 named storm days. Prince of Monaco royal visit postponed The royal visit of Prince Albert II of Monaco has been postponed and is unlikely to happen this year, government officials have confirmed. Prince Albert II was scheduled to pay an official visit to the Cayman Islands after accepting Premier Alden McLaughlin’s invitation last September. Eric Bush, chief officer in the Ministry of International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime Affairs, told the Cayman Compass that the planned official tour was unlikely to happen before year’s end. “He had accepted the invitation and we were hoping to host him during the first half of the year. He himself fell ill with COVID in March or April,” he said, adding, “the best we can say is that it didn’t happen as hoped. But we will be re-engaging with them once our borders are reopened.” Police: ‘We expect someone to be stabbed, shot or killed at Bananas’ RCIPS Deputy Commissioner Kurt Walton said this week that late- night drinking has created serious concern among law enforcement, particularly when it comes to Bananas nightclub. “To be honest, we expect someone to be stabbed, shot or killed at Bananas,” Walton said at a Liquor Licensing Board meeting. His comments came as the operator of Bananas restaurant and bar asked the board to revoke its nightclub status, in light of George Town’s spike in late-night, alcohol-related violence. Vierka Polanco, who recently took over managing the bar, told the board that the club is struggling to contain partiers, who often arrive drunk from other locations, after bars close at 2am. During the 2-4am window, she said, inebriated clients from other bars show up and attempt to crowd into the Eastern Avenue nightclub. Regiment law heads to Legislative Assembly The Defence Bill, establishing the legal framework for the Cayman Islands Regiment, is set to go to the Legislative Assembly at its next sitting, expected to be in October. The regiment has already been set up and its first platoon of 51 reservists graduated last month. The bill, sponsored by the Governors’ Office, will regulate the administration of the regiment. The proposed legislation was gazette this week and is now open for public comment. The proposed law outlines the functions of the regiment, which will include the defence of the islands; providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; and assisting the police and coast guard. The regiment aims to have at least 175 members by the end of 2021, with recruitment already under way for the second platoon. 11 police recruits graduate Eleven Royal Cayman Islands Police Service recruits were officially cleared to begin operational duty when they took part in a graduation ceremony on Monday afternoon. The recruits, comprising eight women and three men, completed 16 weeks of training and a final exam. They will now be placed on shifts as needed, a press release from the RCIPS stated. During their first six months on the job, they will participate in a mentorship programme with experienced police officers, who will assist and guide them. news in brief The Bananas nightclub has been the scene of a number of violent incidents. Premier Alden McLaughlin with Prince Albert in Monaco in September 2019. The prince's visit to Cayman, scheduled for this year, has been postponed. cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2020 With broken hearts we sadly announce the passing of a loving husband, father, grand- father and great-grandfather, Bob, who passed suddenly with his loving wife of 56 years, Marnie, at his side holding his hand. He was ‘The Best’ father to his daughter, Paula Turner McCartney (Andrew), the center of her universe - she was Daddy's Girl. He was a real-life Hero to his son, Brent Robert Alan Turner (Lisa), who sadly predeceased him February 2004. Papa or Grandpa, always joking and always a fun, warm and gentle friend to Mor- gan, Joshua and Rileigh McCartney, Ashley Simpson (Justin), Sarah and Hannah Turner, chosen grandson Jason Millhollon (Rachel) and Austin Robert William Turner, his name- sake, who sadly predeceased him at 3 ½ years old on August 13, 1996. He was so proud to be a great-grandpa to Hampton and Beau Simpson and chosen great- granddaughters Eleora, Corah and Seveah Millhollon. Bob is survived by his sisters Val Naylor (Terry) and Debbie Liska (Steve); brother Kim Dotto (Trish); brothers-in-law Rick Hains, Bill and Scott Campbell; cousins Leona Smith (Art) and Debbie Comis (Barry); nieces Michelle Tinis (Bonita), Marie Vickery (Mike), Caitlin (Jake) and Emily Campbell, Frederique and Gabrielle Hains, Alison Collins (Rob), Kate Etcher (Clark) and Laura Dotto; nephews Scott Tinis (Sally), Ben Naylor (Tara), Alex Dotto, Mathew (Samantha) and Ryan (Kristine) Liska; Steven(Cathy), Michael (Cathy) and Scott Turner and many great nieces and great nephews. Bob was predeceased by his father Wilfred Porter Turner, mother, Cecile Marie Dotto, sister Sharon Tinis, brother Wilfi e Turner (Mary Ann), brother in law Wayne Tinis and cousin, Bill Snowden (Shireen). A Nanaimo ‘Native Son’, who attended Pauline Haarer and John Shaw schools and in 1961 graduated from Nanaimo Senior High School. 1964 he married Marnie and in 1965 they moved to Terrace B.C., where he joined B.C. Tel, which gave him many stories to tell after the incredible snowfalls. He told of having to dig down to the telephone lines and dig his way in, to clean 14 phone booths that he took on as an extra job. He built the fi rst car wash in Terrace when there was only one paved road and on Opening Day the cars were lined up for two blocks. After a very painful three weeks of hard work, he sold it. Bob and Marnie lived in Terrace for two years before returning to Nanaimo in 1967. FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS ROBERT WILLIAM (Bob) TURNER MAY 28, 1943 - AUGUST 15, 2020 In 1973, Bob realized how many people needed jobs, so he retired from B.C. Tel and became a successful entrepreneur and developer. Together with Marnie, they built numerous houses and commercial projects, including Tiffany Gardens and The Executive House next to his favorite Nanaimo Golf Club. Ever ready for adventure, in 1975 he took his family to Florida, where they purchased a yacht, the “Y-Knot”. They lived aboard travelling from Key West through the Baha- mas, Mexico, Honduras and the Panama Canal, before stopping for six months at San Diego's Kona Kai Club and heading up the West Coast back to Nanaimo. Bob enjoyed golfi ng, hunting and B.C.'s beautiful inland waterways, boating and fi shing with family and friends, spending all summer on board until his children had to go back to school in September. International adventure continued in 1980 when Bob moved his family to the Cayman Islands. They continued developing, building homes, apartments and the presti- gious condominium complex, Laguna Del Mar. Ever intrigued by the stock market and commodities, Bob took the Canadian Securities Course and opened Cayman's fi rst private trading company, ‘Cayman Commodities’. Never one to be all work, Bob enjoyed snorkeling, spearfi shing, fi shing and the relaxed Caribbean lifestyle. They also built a second home in the golfi ng community of Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California where he spent many days golfi ng and enjoying the desert with family and friends. Twenty years later, in 2000, Bob again returned to Nanaimo to enjoy his family and life-long friends. He was loyal and generous with a warm smile for everyone he met. He was blessed to recently meet his two great grandsons. The pandemic brought a silver lining where he was able to spend seven months with his wife, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren together in the Cayman Islands, locked down, making so many happy and lasting memories. In June he was able to return to Nanaimo where he spent his fi nal days with his golfi ng buddies under God's blue skies on the green, green grass of Nanaimo Golf Club – His Heaven on earth. He did it all, he did it in style and ‘He did it his way’! Bob's life was full, adventurous, exciting, and defi nitely complete with loving family and friends, but it was just too short, and he will be dearly missed. His wife Marnie will never say good-bye. A special thank you to the Paramedics and Dr. Newcombe and the NRGH emergency room team, who prayed and worked diligently to keep him with us. Bob gave it his all and a team member said, they had never seen someone work so hard to live. A Celebration of Life will be held when all who loved and cherished him can attend, at which time Bob will RIP in the Cedar Memorial Gardens, B.C., Canada together with his son, grandson, and family. In accordance with current COVID 19 pandemic and government restrictions on gatherings, attendance to the funeral will be by invitation only. cayman compass 3 FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2020‘Resort bubbles’ proposed to help bring back tourists Frankly, if I wanted to stay at a resort and never leave I wouldn’t come to Cayman... I would go to Cancun and it would be a lot cheaper. We love Cayman because of the whole island... the people, the culture, the amazing beaches all over the island. I like my resort but we leave it every single day we are there. – Megan Noble Many visitors to inclusive dive resorts such as Cobalt Coast and Compass Point, or those on Cay- man Brac and Little Cayman, never go anywhere all week but out on a dive boat with other resort guests. – Seth Zirin It's so hard watching so many islanders without work but at the same time knowing the dangers of increasing infections and over- whelming the small hospitals. Everyone has to make safe decisions. It’s tough. – Erin Ganey Providing a COVID-free environment for an entire resort full of arbitrary guests would prove a Herculean task. While effectively quarantining visitors away from the general public, there does not appear to be a plan in place to vet every guest prior to arrival and monitor their ongoing health. Visitors coming from the US comprise the greatest overnight traffic to Cayman and they have the highest and most rampant COVID epidemic in the world, literally. Given a choice between staying at a resort full of potentially- infectious people from the US or at a private condo with my family, I’d have to choose the latter. I just can’t see unnecessarily exposing my family to so many potential carriers when I don’t have to. – Gene Stevens This is obviously not a long- term plan. If this is for like, two months, and the alternative is NO tourists, I’m all for it. At least we’ll be getting some people back into the workforce and able to spend money in the community. – Ans Marie Of my 10 days there back in November (just like any other year), I may have spent one day not leaving the grounds at all. We go out almost daily. As someone else mentioned, if I wanted to be stuck in a resort the entire trip, it wouldn’t be in Cayman. For our family we would just be overly frustrated not being able to leave. – Matt Lenderman Please explain to me how they will not mingle with wider public. When it takes the wider public to run the hotels or will all staff will now live on hotel grounds without visitors? – Tasheka Ebanks We are property owners on Seven Mile Beach, but we are now planning our second trip to Turks & Caicos since we are locked out. We would much rather support the economy in Cayman. We have now had three two-week trips to Grand Cayman cancelled. The media portrays the USA as being rampant with irresponsible COVID spreaders, but the majority of us are taking every precaution. We got tested and flew to Providenciales and went diving and bought wine and groceries and ate out a few times, wearing masks and sanitising and temperature checks everywhere we went. The people were so grateful for our business and we were grateful for the opportunity to dive in (near) the Caribbean. – Cinda Friedly O’Keefe While we would love to wel- come you and your family to your home away from home, Turks & Caicos is now struggling with a huge increase in COVID-19 as a result of open borders. I’m not sure we have an example of a safe reopening anywhere in the region yet. – Donovon Kellyman Tourists aren't going to come here just to stay in a hotel unable to leave. I appreciate the thought process and attempt to find a work around, but... – Kyle Creel Divers come to aid of imperiled coral Fantastic to see such an amaz- ing response by resident divers to help save the coral reefs in and around Eden Rock. Thank you all! – National Trust Such a great turnout! Thanks to all and looking forward to seeing the corals when we are are able to visit. – Alice Hamernik McNally Commendable and fascinating as well. – Jay Hollenburger Shows how much damage the proposed port would have made... – Gareth Davies Hope they were able to save most of it – Laurie A P Marsh Great to see such a huge turn- out for a REAL cause. – Nigel Hopkin Bravo to all. Such commitment. Thank goodness for people like you all are. – Gillian Rudd Thank you, thank you, thank you! - Tanya Streeter Police: ‘We expect someone to be stabbed, shot or killed’ at Bananas Keep it open or they will just go and destroy another bar. – Lewis Wilson Those same things could happen at any number of liqour- licensed premises. How many incidents have happened at The Strand and other locations? – Beto Anglin Good for them! Not sure why any of the bars need to be open after 2am! – Debbie Ebanks Nothing good will happen that late at night with drinking, drugs and lack of humanity. – Jadie Forbes Alcohol makes money, so un- less you planning to make illegal, there is nothing you can do, alco- hol kills, period. – Rafael Hasbun 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Mixture (5) 4 Express approval of (7) 8 Unplayable tennis service (3) 9 Gained illicitly (3-6) 10 Sudden strong urge (7) 11 Heavy dark wood (5) 13 Exceptional creative ability (6) 15 Motionless (2,4) 18 Small shoot (5) 19 To make believe (7) 21 To a thorough degree (6,3) 23 A double act (3) 24 Drunk (3-4) 25 To deposit for security (5) DOWN 1 Relevance (7) 2 Enlightening experience (3-6) 3 Cotton twilled fabric (5) 4 Joined in common cause (6) 5 Specific plan (7) 6 Perform a part (3) 7 Dirty-looking (5) 12 Not closely defined (4-5) 14 Outrageous (7) 16 Larva of frog (7) 17 Maintain (6) 18 Supply meagrely (5) 20 Laud (5) 22 Understand (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16487 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16487 ACROSS: 1 Blend, 4 Applaud, 8 Ace, 9 Ill-gotten, 10 Impulse, 11 Ebony, 13 Genius, 15 At rest, 18 Sprig, 19 Pretend, 21 Inside out, 23 Duo, 24 Pie-eyed, 25 Lodge. DOWN: 1 Bearing, 2 Eye-opener, 3 Drill, 4 Allied, 5 Project, 6 Act, 7 Dingy, 12 Open-ended, 14 Ungodly, 16 Tadpole, 17 Uphold, 18 Skimp, 20 Extol, 22 See. What they’re saying Online cartoon Quarantine - By Caymanman cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2020Famed dive site in danger JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@compassmedia.ky Hundreds of divers joined a two-day volunteer effort this week to help save the coral reef at Eden Rock that had been smothered by sand. The sand, dumped on the reef after a visiting cargo ship grounded in George Town Harbour and had to be pulled clear by a tugboat, had already killed many of the corals at the popular dive site before the rescue effort began. The extent of the damage only came to light after divers reported it on Monday. The Department of Environment used a mechanical suction pump to clear some of the sand but more manpower was required. An appeal to the dive community prompted an “incredible response”, with at least 150 divers turning up on Wednesday to assist. The divers, who returned to the site Thursday to resume the operation, are “fighting the clock”, said Tammi Warrender, who coordinated the volunteer effort. Any coral still buried under sand by Friday is not likely to survive, she said. Tim Austin, the deputy director of the Department of Environment, said, “I have to say there will be quite a bit of coral mortality as a result of this.” He said DoE officers and volunteer divers were essentially engaged in a damage-limitation exercise. By using their hands in a wafting motion to create turbulence, divers can slowly clear the sand from the coral heads. “It is hard work and it is intensive for the people involved but it is making a difference,” he said. Sandstorm The Cayman Compass joined the first volunteer dive on Wednesday afternoon. At that stage, a stretch of reef, encompassing Eden Rock and Devil’s Grotto, was covered in a heavy dusting of sand. Occasional brightly coloured corals, untouched by the sandstorm, stood in stark relief. Divers swarmed over the site, using their hands to generate current in a delicate waving motion that looks a little like underwater dusting. It was a painstaking process but puffs of sand slowly shifted from the reef, clouding the clear water before settling on the hardpan bottom. “It is a pretty serious situation out there,” said Rory McDonough, who was among the volunteers. “I was freediving and you could really see the impact from above. You could see the difference everyone was making in such a short time,” he said. Lindsey Mobley, a dive instructor at the neighbouring Don Foster’s dive shop, first spotted the damage on Tuesday. “I went diving with a friend and we just went out to the sand and realised all the sand was on the reef,” she said. “We pretty much dive Eden Rock and Don Foster’s every day so to see it like that is horrible.” Her dive buddy and fellow instructor Nick Curtis said he hoped the efforts of the divers could make a difference. Steff Mcdermot, another volunteer diver, said it was “all hands on deck” any time the DoE put out a call for help. “I think it’s a shame we had to go down this route and have to call for the entire community to come out to deal with this, but I am happy to know that when a situation like this happens, you can rely on the community to come together,” she said. Horrific damage Warrender said the response and the efforts of the dive volunteers had been incredible. “There is cause for optimism when you have a community response like this,” she said. “It was such an amazing turnout. We went out with just eight of us on Tuesday and we felt we were making a difference, so having 150 people out on the reef has made a massive difference.” She said the fact that the DoE was not informed about the impact from the incident until Monday had made the rescue effort more difficult. Warrender said the damage to coral was “horrific” and comparable in scale to the incident involving the cargo ship, Saga, which ran into the reef in 2016, shaving the tops of shallow coral heads and leaving rubble in its wake. The DoE will assess and quantify the extent of the coral loss from the incident in the coming weeks. Austin said around 800 linear feet of reef just off the coast had been impacted. “The likely suspect at the time was a ship operating in the harbour that ran into the sand, ran aground, and then the tug… was used to pull the ship to the wharf, and in doing so… stirred up a great deal of sand,” he said. “That sand was transported by water current down the reef to Eden Rock and consequently has smothered the living coral.” The incident is believed to have happened between 4:30pm and 6:30pm on Friday, 11 Sept. 800 feet The length of coral reef covered in sand Billy Adam was among the volunteers in the water on Wednesday. Divers attempt to clear sand from corals at Eden Rock. Sand is smothering coral at the famous site. Divers enter the water at Eden Rock on Wednesday to assist with an attempt to clear the sand from the coral heads. Divers fighting the clock to save smothered coral WATCH THE VIDEO ONLINE CAYMANCOMPASS.COM cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2020Crisis tests port processes as workers rise to occasion KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky On the George Town waterfront, mornings are far different than they were a year ago. Cruise ship tourists no longer bustle through the port, deboarding ships and transferring to tour shuttles, en route to explore the island. But the harbour remains busy in other ways. In the absence of cruise traffic, cargo ships now take advantage of the previously impossible opportunity to unload cement and construction aggregate during the day. The ability to offload such items during daylight hours, in contrast to the previous nighttime schedule, has been a boon for the construction industry, a primary sector driving the islands’ economic recovery. It’s one of the silver linings of Cayman’s ongoing border closure, explained Acting Port Director Joseph Woods. When the islands shut down in March, port workers entered an extended period of increased demands and uncertainty that required attention 24 hours a day. “A lot of staff were apprehensive and scared because nobody knew what COVID would do,” Woods said. On the other side of the lockdown, Woods reflects on the positives. The port was able to avoid interruptions to cargo by adapting to restrictions imposed during lockdown, Woods said. When warehouses filled, he said exemptions were issued to importers to allow them to clear cargo and store it elsewhere. Additionally, no one in the Port Authority team tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a feat he attributes to the robust health and sanitary protocol established in collaboration with Public Health. Even now at the port’s offices, sanitation workers stay busy, cleaning frequently touched areas, like doors and partitions. And then there are other positives, like the ability to support industry with the, albeit temporary, streamlining of certain construction imports. Cayman port stays COVID-free The ICS Triton arrives in George Town Harbour on 1 Sept. carrying 2,998 tons of construction aggregate. Port workers transport goods based on an electronic, colour-based system that advises when an item is ready for release or further processing. 6“We’re working right around the clock,” Woods said, standing in the port off of Harbour Drive. In the foreground, the ICS Triton of Inter Caribbean Shipping Ltd. nears the south pier with 2,998 tons of construction aggregate on board. Under previous port protocol, the ICS Triton crew would have waited until nightfall to drop off their cargo. Daytime hours were reserved for cruise ships. The crew still remain aboard the ship as a safety measure to avoid the spread of COVID-19. But on the ground, Cayman’s port staff are ready to assist. Many of the fears of the early days of the crisis have now dissipated for port workers. Concern that imported goods could carry the virus, for example, is now gone. “Once we understood the survivability of the virus, we knew it couldn’t survive for long in the conditions, in the heat and stuff,” he said. So far, in terms of keeping staff and the community safe, the sanitary measures implemented by the port have worked. Port protocol and upgrades Back at the billing office on Portland Road, employees receive and file paperwork electronically. A colour-coding system alerts when a step in the import process has been completed and items can move forward to the next department. Much of the system, including client accounts and payments, is now digital, cutting down on the need for in-person services. The port employs around 160 workers, many of whom have stayed with the job for decades. New hires, however, are learning the ropes from the old- timers, Woods said, so they’re ready to take the reins when the time comes. While certain port projects have been put on hold due to the crisis, others remain in motion at the port’s storage yard, just south of the billing office. “We started off the year pretty fast; the first three months this year, we made $2 million profit. We were looking good and we were steaming ahead,” Woods said. “We had some good plans. And we had to reduce them.” More-urgent projects, like installation of refrigerated storage towers in George Town, however, have still moved forward. Improvements have also been made to the pier in Cayman Brac and, for the first time, refrigerated goods can be stored at the port facility in Little Cayman. “In Little Cayman, whenever the refrigerated containers came off, people had to be there and take stuff because there was no plugging them in,” Woods said. Now, residents in Little Cayman will have more flexibility with picking up their refrigerated goods. Throughout the crisis, Woods said his staff has stayed committed to processing all imports within five days, with many goods being cleared within two days. The delays and stresses associated with courier mail services, like FedEx and DHL, are not related to the shipping port. Before returning to his desk, Woods stops to thank employees at the Portland Road office for the sacrifices they made to see the islands through the crisis. “Everybody was scared of it and what could happen,” Woods told them. “But yet, you guys stuck with us and brought the goods in, got it to customers so Cayman could eat. It was much appreciated.” No one in the Port Authority team tested positive for the novel coronavirus, a feat Acting Port Director Joseph Woods attributes to the robust health and sanitary protocol established in collaboration with Public Health . Total cargo (tons) imported to Cayman Islands by month 2019 January40,709 February40,439 March68,004 April48,884 May47,698 June43,452 July55,033 Total (Jan.-July):344,219 tons 2020 January93,238 February49,571 March56,601 April36,139 May24,479 June46,072 July65,368 Total (Jan.-July):371,468 tons 10-year average January40,373 February35,714 March45,354 April37,252 May40,046 June35,693 July40,348 Total (Jan.-July):274,780 tons * Total cargo excludes fuels like diesel and gas. It includes all containerised cargo, including construction aggregates. - Source: Cayman Port All goods stored in the Port Authority’s warehouses on Portland Road arrived by ship and do not include packages brought by courier mail via plane. Joseph Woods took over as acting port director at the end of 2018. 7World Food Programme reports increasing food insecurity in Caribbean KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@compassmedia.ky The economic stress of the COVID-19 crisis is leading to increasing levels of hunger across the Caribbean, according to a recent World Food Programme survey. Disruption to work, unemployment and higher food prices have contributed to more people in the Caribbean and the Cayman Islands skipping meals or going entire days without food, the survey indicates. The report, ‘Caribbean COVID-19 Food Security & Livelihoods Impact Survey’, analyses data collected from 22 June-1 July from 5,708 respondents across the region. A total of 22 countries or territories, including the Cayman Islands, participated in the survey. Cayman’s data includes responses from 120 people. Cayman fared better than most of the region in terms of food security, but responses still indicated that about a fifth of people in Cayman were struggling to find enough to eat. Over the seven days prior to taking the survey, 18% of respondents from the Cayman Islands indicated they had skipped meals or eaten less than usual. Two percent responded that they had gone an entire day without eating, while 53% said that they’d had no difficulties eating enough food. “Compared to April, while there is better access to markets, there appears to be greater job loss, higher food prices and poorer food consumption,” the report states. “Job loss and reduced income were reported by 7 out of 10 respondents. The main worry of respondents is unemployment, followed by meeting food and other essential needs.” The number of food-insecure people in the Caribbean more than doubled between April and the June survey, the report notes. An estimated 2.9 million people are now food insecure, compared to 1.2 million in April. Across the region, 27% responded that they had skipped a meal or eaten less than usual in the week previous to taking the survey. Five percent said they had gone an entire day without eating a meal. Both of these numbers have risen since the World Food Programme’s survey in April, when those numbers were calculated at 16% and 1%, respectively. Rising food prices were a contributing factor to food insecurity, with 78% of respondents across the Caribbean reporting an increase in food costs compared to 59% surveyed in April. The Cayman Islands was included in the list of countries with the lowest percentage indicating an increase in food prices, alongside Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. The countries where the highest percentage reporting increases were Saint Lucia, Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Curacao and Turks and Caicos Islands. Unemployment was another leading contributor to food insecurity in the region. “Job loss or reduced income was reported by the vast majority of respondents describing their household income as well below average (88%) or below average (83%), compared to about half of those describing their income as above or well above average,” the report states. “Respondents with household income from petty trade, informal labour and support from friends and family more widely reported job loss/ reduced income compared to those with salaries.” Cayman was among the surveyed countries least impacted by job loss, beaten only by Bermuda. Still, a majority of Cayman Islands respondents indicated they had been affected, with 58% responding they had experienced job loss or reduced salaries. In Bermuda, 49% responded they had experienced the same. Aruba ranked as the Caribbean island most impacted by job losses and reduced salaries, with 81% indicating they were affected. In the two weeks before the survey, more than half of Cayman Islanders, 56%, said their ability to carry out their livelihoods had been affected. Access to grocery stores and markets was one area where the survey noted improvement between April and June. In June, 27% of respondents in the region said they could not access shopping areas, compared to 37% in April. More respondents in June indicated they could not access markets due to financial restrictions, compared to April when a leading limitation was long lines at stores. People with a below-average income were the most likely to be impacted by lack of access to shops and markets. For 54% of individuals with an income “well-below average”, the household could not access markets or stores at some point over the previous seven days, compared to 20% of those with well- above average income. In Cayman, 17% of respondents indicated they had difficulties accessing markets or stores in the previous week, with reasons for the issues as well as income categories not specified in the report. Survey: One in five in Cayman skipped meals or went hungry in lockdown Number of Respondents -100 100 - 300 300 - 500 +500 5,708 survey respondents 22 countries and territories 69% female 21% male respondents 41 average age In the two weeks before the June survey, more than half of Cayman Islanders, 56%, said their ability to carry out their livelihoods had been affected. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 18 SEPTEMBER 2020NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Smart wristbands connected to phone apps are the latest tools in the Cayman Islands government’s arsenal in protecting the islands against the spread of COVID-19. Announcing the planned introduction of the geofencing device at a press briefing on 9 Sept., Premier Alden McLaughlin said Cayman would be using monitoring technology similar to that used in Hong Kong. “The electronic monitoring device selected is being used successfully in Hong Kong to help ensure that persons in isolation remain where they are supposed to be,” the premier said. Hong Kong has used two separate types of monitoring devices since they were introduced in April. The Cayman Compass contacted a number of people in Hong Kong who had been fitted with the wristbands after they passed through the city’s Chek Lap Kok Airport in recent weeks and months. Philippe Massonnet has worn both types of wristbands, after undergoing two periods of quarantine upon returning to Hong Kong – once in April and again in August. “The first one in our first quarantine in April was quite big and a bit heavy, and not that comfortable,” he told the Compass. “The second one we got in the second quarantine in August was much smaller, lighter, much more bearable.” He added, “The first quarantine we had, we were called three times on the phone by the Department of Health in Hong Kong, and once it was a video call, just to check if we were wearing the wristband, and the other two times were just to ask us how we feel – any symptoms, fever..., and the last phone call was to let us know it was the end of quarantine.” In Hong Kong, arrivals undergo a COVID-19 PCR test at the airport, before they go into the mandatory 14-day quarantine, and again three days before the end of the isolation period. While awaiting the results of the tests, which can take several hours, arrivals have the option to be taken by bus to a hotel. Passengers are also allowed to wait at the airport while the tests are being processed. “The first time [in April], between the time we landed and the time we checked in at our designated hotel... we spent the night at the hotel waiting for the results of the test. There were six hours between the time the plane landed and when we entered the hotel. The second time, it was eight hours, because there were more flights, more people that day. There was a big queue, not for the test but for filling in the paperwork at the airport,” Massonnet said. “The system, the wristband, worked,” he added. “Obviously they have improved it. It’s very light. You almost don’t feel it, it’s not any heavier than even a Swatch, or a very light watch,” he said. Reuben Easey was released from quarantine on Monday night, after spending two weeks inside his apartment, and admitted it was with much relief that he removed the monitoring device. Speaking with the Compass on Tuesday morning, Hong Kong time, he said, “I literally cut it with a pair of scissors less than 12 hours ago, at 23:59. That was my release time after two weeks. I was very happy to do so. It is still lying in two pieces on my couch.” Asked why he was so relieved to remove the wristband, he said there was no problem with the band itself, but “it’s linked to an app on the phone. Three or four times a day, I get a ping from the app on my phone telling me to scan the QR code on my wristband. It’s pretty restrictive. By scanning the QR code, it shows you’re wearing the wristband.” Easey had returned from seeing his family in the UK. He explained the process of what happens immediately after one lands at the airport. “You get the wristband and download the app on your phone, and do the COVID test. It takes several hours waiting at the airport. It is a bit of a pain, especially after a long-haul flight. I spent nine hours waiting at the airport,” he said. If the arrivals test negative, they are allowed to leave the airport and make their way to their homes by whatever transportation means they choose. Once they get home, they walk around their apartments so the phone’s GPS tracker can get exact coordinates of the living space, and then they are required to remain there for two weeks. If they test positive, they are transported to a makeshift hospital at the Asia-World Expo, an exhibition centre located near the airport, or to hospital if they require medical treatment. Breaking quarantine can lead to a HK$5,000 (about CI$538) fine and imprisonment of up to six months, according to Hong Kong regulations. In Cayman, if someone leaves mandatory quarantine prior to getting a negative test, they could face a $10,000 fine and a two-year prison sentence. Easey, who worked from home during his quarantine period, said he definitely experienced some cabin fever during the two weeks confined to his flat. “Hong Kong apartments aren’t very big,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world by any means, but it was quite a relief getting that text to confirm that you may remove the wristband and delete the app from your phone. I walked out into the night,” he said. The first thing he intended to do when he got the chance on Tuesday was to walk up Victoria Peak, the highest hill on Hong Kong Islands “to stretch my legs”, he said. One of the first people to wear the monitoring device was Ava Champion. “I arrived in Hong Kong just two days after the government wristbands were introduced,” she said, pointing out some of the teething problems the original devices encountered. “There was a lot of talk at this time about the technology being corrupted,” she said. “For example, it was difficult to set up the mandatory government tracking app because it was all in Cantonese and the option for English just didn’t work. I actually had to get my Cantonese- speaking friend to translate the questions for me so I could set up the app. I think this was largely due to the Hong Kong government not knowing how to go about tracking at first, but it’s clear that the system is much more on top of things now.” She added, “Many of my friends who have come back much later told me about calls and texts they would get from the government on a daily basis and the wristband they had to wear would beep if they went out of range. Whereas the initial wristband I wore was literally just a hospital patient paper band that felt pretty useless.” But she admits it wasn’t necessarily the band around her wrist that kept her at home. “To be honest, the biggest pressure was moral pressure rather than fear of the technology. Most neighbours will know that you have just arrived from overseas and so they know you are meant to be in quarantine, and this actually makes you afraid to go out.” As of Wednesday, 4,984 people had tested positive for coronavirus in Hong Kong, and 102 of those had died. The first people in Cayman to use the wristband and app technology will be members of 20-25 households who arrived on island on board the British Airways flight that landed on Thursday, 17 Sept., as part of a trial programme before the ‘soft reopening’ of the borders on 1 Oct. McLaughlin, outlining arrangements for the first tranche of people to use the geofencing devices, said the purpose of the trial programme “is to gather information on various aspects of the process – how well they work, or not. This includes the time required to process arrivals under the new procedures in effect from 1 October, assessing airport capabilities to conduct COVID-19 tests... and evaluate the electronic device technology, including its ability to meet our needs and user experience.” The newly-arrived BA passengers will be required to undergo a COVID test at the airport, wear the monitoring devices, quarantine at a residence or other accommodation approved by Cayman’s medical officer of health for a minimum of 14 days, and then undergo another COVID test prior to be being released from isolation. Only those who return a negative test will be allowed to leave quarantine. COVID-19 WRISTBAND TRACKERS: How they work in Hong Kong "Most neighbours will know that you have just arrived from overseas and so they know you are meant to be in quarantine, and this actually makes you afraid to go out.” Ava Chapman , Hong Kong resident, on staying in isolation This type of electronic tracking wristband, worn here by Reuben Easey in Hong Kong, is similar to the devices being introduced in the Cayman Islands this week. Philippe Massonnet has undergone two quarantine periods in Hong Kong since April. Ava Champion was issued with her tracking wristband two days after the devices were introduced in Hong Kong. 20-25 The number of households who will be trialling the geofencing wristbands from this week 9 news N newsNext >